We recognize that the reasonable security of our country requires that certain acts of espionage be done in secret but such acts when done domestically to Americans, must follow the law the strictly and there must oversight and transparency.

The change in the American landscape since 9/11 continues to trend in a troubling direction – the continued discovery of intrusion into our lives by government agencies without proper authority and court approval. This is especially troubling when it happens so close to home, as in right here in Tampa, Florida.

As reported by the Tampa Bay Times this morning, a former Defense Intelligence Agency contractor who worked at MacDill Air Force Base alleges that he was ordered to gather intelligence on an individual without being provided with any evidence of legal authorization. According to the former contractor, the “illegal actions are kept from sight, shrouded in a cloak of secrecy and bureaucratic maneuvering.” The Tampa Bay Times goes on to quote “Vermont Law School professor Stephen Dycus, an expert on national security law,” as saying, “ I think it’s very disturbing not only because an agent of the government is being tasked to do something like this, but also and maybe especially because it is military that is doing it.”

While our continued loss of privacy is troubling – face recognition at commercial establishments identifying us and searching our tastes on social media for targeted advertising, spy cookies tracking our internet searches – nothing is more troubling than our own government spying on us without oversight or transparency. While I’m not beginning my doomsday prep yet, I am growing more and more concerned about actions which I think can ultimately lead to tyranny.